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I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33)
An old adage goes, "The large print giveth; the small print taketh away!" And what does that mean? In a legal contract, there is a lot of fine print—the "wherewith" and "inasmuch as" statements. These are the phrases that have legal teeth, usually the kind that you leave to lawyers, but they are also they ones that determine what really happens.

"This product comes with a lifetime guarantee" says the large print on the box, but when you read the fine print, it tells you that it is not your lifetime or even the lifetime of the product you are buying, but the lifetime of the cardboard box the product comes in, or something equally as innocuous and meaningless.

"That's absolutely misleading and deceptive!" you cry! You are completely right! But here's the question: Do we at times buy into Christianity without really reading the fine print? We are told that knowing Christ brings financial prosperity, personal happiness, joy, contentment, peace, and spiritual excitement. That's the large print. And it is quite enticing. But the fine print reads like, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). And, "The greatest among you will be your servant." (Matthew 23:11).

Jesus also talked about counting the cost before you build a house or start a war, but enamored with what we can gain, we often visualize the house completed or enjoying the plunders that come from winning the conflict, and ignore the sweat and toil of getting there.

In the Upper Room, with the cross looming on the horizon, Jesus talked with the disciples about the fine print. He knew that they were focusing on the large print which they thought would be to rule the world with Jesus as Lord and Master, but He knew they still didn't understand. He said something which brings the whole issue into focus when we understand what He meant. Here it is: "In the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33,NKJV). Stop! Did Jesus really mean "tribulation," otherwise, translated trouble, hardship, difficulty, distress, and pressure? Exactly!

And He told the disciples what to expect so they wouldn't be overwhelmed when they faced difficulty. But—and this is the part you have to remember—He added, "But take heart! I have overcome the world." Prefacing what He said about our facing tribulation or difficulty, Jesus told them that He was telling them all of this so they would have peace and not be disturbed when it happened.

Frankly, our generation doesn't much like the fine print. Some 27 times the King James Version of the text mentions tribulation, but newer translations render it difficulty, trouble, or hardship. True, tribulation conjures images of the book of Revelation and the great distress which confronts the world at the end of the age, but frankly, this is what confronts men and women today—and not simply those who are refugees who have fled their homelands because of war. Rather, they are the ones whose marriages are in trouble, whose children are struggling with drugs, whose finances are in shambles—who are denied sleep at night because of personal distress.

This is part of living in a broken world, but you must also hold onto the promises of Jesus which allow you to walk through the darkness. "I will never leave you or forsake you," He promised, and He will walk with you through the valley to the door of His eternal home in heaven.

Never forget that when He warned us of difficulty, He added, "Be of good cheer (or, take heart), I have overcome the world." Though we would prefer not facing the tribulation and difficulty Jesus talked about, it's the only way we learn how great is His strength and help in facing the dark hours of the soul.

Resource reading: John 16

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Author Biography

Harold J. Sala
Web site: Guidelines International Ministries
 
Speaker, author and Bible teacher, Dr. Harold Sala founded Guidelines in 1963 and has served at its helm since its inception. Pioneering the five-minute commentary in Christian radio, Dr. Sala’s daily “Guidelines-A Five Minute Commentary on Living” is broadcast in 49 of the 50 states and is heard the world over in a variety of languages. Sala, who holds a Ph.D. in biblical text, has authored over 55 books published in 19 languages. He speaks and teaches frequently at conferences, seminars, and churches worldwide. Residing in Mission Viejo, California, Harold and his wife, Darlene, have three adult children and eight well-loved grandchildren.
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